Lecture 2- The Edwardian Age.docx

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School

McGill University

Department

History

Course

HIST 386

Professor

Brian Lewis

Semester

Fall

Description

Lecture 2: The Edwardian Age
Queen Victoria 1837-1901
Edward VII 1901-10
George V 1910-1936
Economy
world's only super power
largest navy
quarter of the world's population
largest merchant navy
more than all the other countries combined
city of London (financial district) great financial centre of the world
world economy based on the pound sterling
organized around free trade and int'l division of labour
different from rival economies
less than 10% of labour force engaged in agriculture and fisheries
during eco. downturn that hit agri. badly, large amount of land went out of
use in Britain
population booming
better fed on the eve of WWI than it had been back in 1870
Great Depression meant fall in grain prices--> cheaper bread
opening up of American prairies through railways and steamship that
allowed this
foreign grain could undercut the price of Br. grainy
3/4 of pop. being fed by foreign grain, so free trade is good
means it could concentrate on manufactured goods
importing raw materials and goods
BUT England in relative decline as other countries begin to grow more
rapidly
1880 Br. has 23% of world's manufacturing output
by 1919, below 14%
US and Ger. were catching up and becoming stronger industrial powers
cuts into Br. eco. supremacy
deflationary years of Great Depression gave people more spending power
stimulated consumer boom at end of 19thC
+ more leisure time
department stores, brand names
telephone, elevator, automobile, cinema, bicycle, gas stove, Daily Mail newspaper
expansion of employment in the tertiary sector
white collar in industry and services
professional jobs
bureaucratic jobs in the expansion of various government and state
Urbanization
by 1914, more than 3/4 in large towns and cities
highest urbanized pop. in the world
London biggest city in the world
20% of the pop. of Eng. and Wales
Glasgow is second biggest
central business, shopping and entertainment district
surrounded by working class housing
slum housing or row housing
extensive suburbs
hard to keep up with urban development
overcrowding and appalling living conditions
urban contrasts at most extreme in London
"this great foul city"
core of London divided into West and East end
West: consu